Horten IX V3 (Ho 229)

Name: Horten IX V3 (Ho 229)
Brand: Rara-Avis Sims
Price: 20.99 USD
Rating: 4.8 (71 reviews)

Rara-Avis Sims

VINTAGEFLYING WINGSTEALTHHISTORIC

4.8/5 (71)

USD 20.99

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Added: May 13, 2024
Updated: June 13, 2024

The Horten Ho 229 was a German prototype fighter/bomber that was designed by Reimar and Walter Horten during World War II. It was one of the first flying wing aircraft to be powered by jet engines, and had several remarkable features, such as:

It was very fast and agile, capable of reaching speeds of up to 977 km/h (607 mph) and performing tight turns and rolls. It could also fly at high altitudes, up to 15,000 m (49,000 ft), making it difficult to intercept by allied fighters. It was very stealthy, due to its low radar cross-section and its use of a special wood-based material called "charcoal mixture" that absorbed radar waves. It was estimated that the Ho 229 would have been invisible to radar at distances greater than 80% of its range. It was very advanced, incorporating features such as an ejection seat, a pressurized cockpit, a tricycle landing gear. It also had a sophisticated weapons system, consisting of two 30 mm cannons and two 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs.

The Ho 229 was the only design that came close to meeting the "3×1000" requirement issued by Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe, for a light bomber that could carry 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs over 1,000 km (620 mi) at 1,000 km/h (620 mph). However, the project faced many challenges and delays, such as the lack of suitable production facilities, the interference of rival companies, the shortage of materials and fuel, and the Allied bombing raids. Only three prototypes were built, and only one of them flew, before the project was captured by the American forces in 1945.

The Ho 229 was a remarkable aircraft that was ahead of its time, and may have influenced many later designs, such as the Northrop B-2 Spirit and the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. It is considered by some to be the first true stealth aircraft in history. The only surviving prototype, the Ho 229 V3, is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C

Product features

Pilot model is NOT included, it is available in the Marketplace as a separate download from GotFriends

Product manual (please read) 18 liveries Night fighter variant Wooden prototype

Custom flight model "Wheel barrow" take-off effect Stable a low and high speeds Pushback available Custom pilot animations linked to the control stick and rudder pedals Custom animations Customized sounds Custom landing gear animation with wires, pistons and pulleys Custom gauges (mertic) Custom gauge needle vibrations Engine flames (toggleable) Engine heat glow (above 90%) Custom APU starters and sounds Opening canopy with custom sounds Custom decals Custom cameras Oxygen system Working curcuit breakers Detailed Jumo 004 engines Wingtip vortex effects Custom engine smoke effects Custom landing gear and flap lights Custom low fuel lights Working pitot and canopy heat (de-ice) Fully VR compatible Working sight (hidden by default) GPS (GNS430), ADF, Transponder Autopilot Working radio navigation beacon indicator Hideable control stick Authentic cockpit wear and tear Highly detailed roughness and normal maps Dimmable red cockpit lighting Removable rear engine covers Options clipboard Full checklists for startup and shutdown Auto start and shutdown key binds Custom wheel chocks and ladder (parking brakes applied)

The Ho 229 was a single-seat, twin-engine, all-wing, multi-role military aircraft developed during World War II by brothers Reimar and Walter Horten of Germany. The jet-powered, swept flying wing design was to be manufactured by German heavy industry company Gothaer Waggonfabrik. Only three prototypes were crafted, however, and the airframe never entered serial production.

The Ho 229 design took its maiden flight on March 1, 1944 as a glider and as a powered aircraft in December of 1944. The test series ended in disaster on February 18, 1945 with the crash of the powered prototype and death of the pilot when one of its engines failed.

The Horten Brothers embarked on their initiative to develop the Ho 229 in response to a request by Germany’s Luftwaffe for a new bomber capability that could function out of the reach of Allied air defenses. The specifications called for the ability to carry a 1,000-kilogram (2,200 pound) load 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in one hour, so the craft needed to fly near the speed of sound. Only the recently developed jet engine could generate the power necessary to achieve such a feat.

The Horten Brothers had worked with tailless flying wing airframes previously with their Horten H.IV glider. They focused on the wing-only design for the Ho 229 project as it minimized drag, although flight control without an empennage proved challenging. They overcame the aircraft’s aerodynamic instability and maneuvering problems by using a system of elevons and spoilers.

After a successful test of the unpowered, glider variant, the designers created a prototype with two Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The successful test of the Ho 229 in December of 1944 marked the first flight of a jet-powered, wing-only aircraft in aviation history. Although the crash of the powered version on February 18, 1945 destroyed it, the program continued. The Allied advanced thwarted any substantial gains in development, however, and the Ho 229 never flew again.

The Ho 229 had a wingspan of 55 feet, 1 inch and had a centerline length of 24 feet, 3 inches. It had a range of 1,200 miles, a take-off speed of 93 miles per hour, a landing speed of 81 mph, and an estimated top speed of 600 mph.